COLUMBUS, Ohio—United States midfielder Jermaine Jones dropped to the ground, directly at midfield, when the whistle blew to signal the U.S. and Jamaica had completed the full 90. He rested there with his limbs outstretched, looking very much like it might take another 90 minutes to revive him.

This hadn’t been quite the spectacular the Americans had imagined, but it certainly was exhausting for all involved.

This included the wildly pro-USA audience that stuffed Crew Stadium more or less beyond capacity on a glorious fall Tuesday night. When tickets were purchased, many no doubt expected the fourth match of six in the first round of World Cup qualifying would nudge the Americans to the brink of advancing to next year’s final round, a six-team affair nicknamed “the Hex.”

Instead they entered the stands well aware their men were flirting with disappearing from the process entirely. What a catastrophe that would be.

The U.S. needed a victory. Mathematically, it wasn’t so. Qualification still would have been possible without it. But practically, following Friday night’s disastrous effort in losing on the road at Jamaica, there was no evading the truth that a defeat or tie in the return match would have turned the Americans’ final two games into a desperate, agonizing battle.

Which, come to think of it, it still is, only a good deal less so following the 1-0 United States victory delivered by forward Herculez Gomez’ magnificent free kick.

“I think few people know what it’s really like to play these qualifiers,” Gomez said after the game. “It doesn’t matter where in the world you play them, an away qualifier isn’t the easiest thing in the world.

“It was always a must-win for us at home, regardless if we won the first one or tied the first one or lost the first one. We still saw it as a must-win at home.”

What occurs for the U.S. in CONCACAF qualifying is a little bit like what went on several decades ago in the ACC Tournament, when the favored team had no greater chance at the prize of the league’s singular NCAA bid than the weakest team in the league. It’s not quite as anarchic as that, because there are six games in this qualifying sequence, but it can be no less harrowing.

The Americans entered Tuesday’s round with a 1-1-1 record that placed them in a tie for second with Guatemala. Only two of the four teams will move onto the Hex. After this victory, the U.S. is tied with Guatemala for first, fractionally ahead of Jamaica.

So even though there’s a sense of relief and accomplishment, there’s still the grim reality of needing to deliver results in the final two games to be secure.

“I’ve been through qualifiers myself,” said U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who appeared for West Germany and Germany in three World Cups. “When we won the World Cup in 1990, we almost didn’t qualify. It was down to the last game, which we won 2-1, and the opponent—Wales at that time—Mark Hughes missed a 100 percent chance in the 88th minute. And Germany wouldn’t have gone to the World Cup. That’s how close it can get.

“We’re trying to tell the players, let’s not waste time, let’s not waste points. We wasted points in Jamaica, and it was really important that they understand that we get down really serious to business tonight. And they responded well.”

On a field as smooth as the Augusta National greens, which favored the possession style of soccer Klinsmann has been working to install since taking over as national team coach last summer, the Americans attacked savagely from the moment the first ball was struck. Unfortunately, they had more luck hitting the frame of the goal than the back of the net.

Three times in the first half the U.S. shot the ball off the post or crossbar, with the most dangerous being midfielder Danny Williams’ sizzling strike from out front in the 30th minute. He admitted to thinking about how he would celebrate as it soared toward the goal, only to break at the final instant and carom off the inside left post.

“We put a lot of effort into the first half, really pushed hard, and we were unlucky hitting the post a few times, and the keeper made some saves,” star forward Clint Dempsey said. “You’ve got to keep going. That’s all you can do. You go to the very end, and no matter what happens all you can do is control trying your best. We knew if we kept working hard we’d keep getting chances and sooner or later one would fall for us.”

The U.S was nearly an hour into this ordeal when Dempsey cleverly conned a Jamaica defender into tripping him just a little beyond the 18-yard box. The referee awarded the Americans a free kick, which led to a civil discussion between Gomez and left-footed midfielder Jose Torres about who was better qualified to strike it from that spot.

“I think I pulled rank on him,” Gomez said. “It was his side, but I felt it was my distance. He’s got a great touch with free kicks over the wall, but I felt maybe from that distance I could give it a little more power. I’m lucky enough it went in.”

The only luck was in winning the debate. The kick itself was a masterpiece, the sort of play U.S. soccer fans long will remember if their men complete the job of advancing through this round.